Marauder Child
by Jordan Mar
Summary: A young girl was kicked out of her Marauder camp. What happens whenever she befriends Tess right as Daxter wants to propose? Reviews appriciated much! Chaptuh Seven!
1. Neglected

**_Marauder Child _**

**_Chapter One: Neglected _**

**Hey! Another self entry into the famous world of Jak and Daxter. This story is about me and my best friend living in a Marauder camp hundreds of miles from ****Haven** **City****. You'll laugh, you'll cry…But mostly you'll laugh. Enjoy! **

"Put your back into it!" Three Marauders gathered around a frail young girl as they watched her struggle to try and push the huge crate along the camp. "I can't!" she pleaded, hoping that they would give her a break. She'd been working for days while the rest of her friends played among the herds of leaper lizards outside the camp. Occasionally her best friend, Tiffany, would come and visit. But today, she was nowhere to be found. One of the muscular guards lashed her on the back with his whip as she once again heaved at the heavy box. Soon, the others joined in.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the most hated of all her people to hate. Christina. Being the most preppy of all the preps, it was known as her job to make the more pitiful Marauder children's lives a living hell. Christina waved at her and motioned for her group. In only a matter of seconds, a whole clan of popular girls surrounded her, making a taunting and laughing wall blocking her from killing their queen. How she hated her. From the very day they met she was nothing but trouble to her. Calling her names. Hitting her. Shunning her from her group, not that she ever wanted to be a part of it.

"I said move it!" Again they began to beat upon her back with the long rubber coils. When they were feeling generous, they would ditch the whips and pound her with their bare hands. But on their bad days, they would, for their own pleasure, add blades to the end of them, creating a pain so intense that she didn't mind if it killed her right then and there._ Come save me, Tiffany_, she thought. _Come save me from this awful torture… _As if answering her prayers, her best friend stepped out of a nearby tent with a handful of fruit. She casually reached into her pocket and removed several gold coins and tipped the guards. As they walked away, she helped the beaten teenager to her feet.

"Tiff, I'm so glad you're here! Boy, if they just gave me one day of rest, their asses would already be kicked by now!" The blonde-headed she-elf shook her head and rolled her eyes as she tossed her a bite to eat. "Jordan, you're so tied up in plotting revenge, but you never take enough time off of your strategizing to do your attacking!" she laughed. Jordan bit into the juicy and ripe fruit, the first bite she had taken in a day or so. "Do you expect me to go in without a plan? Trust me, this'll all be worth it…"

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the little slave girl!" The snotty and squeaky voice made them both sick. They turned around to find Miss Queen Prep herself smirking at them both. Her long brown hair was pulled back with a headband with the Marauder camp symbol that resembled a sword. She wore a blue shirt cut in half to show her stomach along with the sleeves chopped off to reveal her twigs-for-arms. Black boots clad her feet, matching her gloves which had been relieved of a couple of fingers. Finally, the look was put together with a pair of blue shorts, covered up with a short white skirt, giving her the perfect preppy yet tough Marauder look.

"Shove off, Chrissy! Leave her alone!" defended Tiffany, stepping in front of Jordan. Christina crossed her arms and huffed. "Why should I?" The group behind her repeated tauntingly. "Yeah, why should she?" After a five minute staring contest, Tiffany and Jordan finally gave up. "So long, Losers!" called the group, waving in their usual snobby way.

* * *

All was unusually quiet in the chaotic Haven City. So far there had been no reports of any robberies or even Metal Head sightings. One word defined this day for Jak: boring. He lay under the Tree of Life, trying his best to relax on probably his only day off ever. Daxter sat beside him, of course with Tess right in front, cooing and giving him pet names every ten seconds. They had been dating for quite some time now, and Jak was expecting for Daxter to pop the question any time now. But today, he didn't care what he did. It was just him and a little vacation. 

As soon as Tess walked away on her own, Daxter leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Check this out," he said, pulling a small ring from his pocket and showing it to Jak. "Wow, Dax! So, when're you gonna' ask her?"

"Dunno' yet. Maybe sometime this evening…" Right as he finished his sentence, Jak's communicator sprang to life. "Jak! We've spotted a Marauder camp just outside Spargus City! Get your ass down there now!" He didn't even have time to argue as the little machine switched off and fell into his pack. Jak sighed heavily and stood up. "Come on, Dax. We've got work to do…"

* * *

"Hmmm, now where are they?" Jak and Daxter had been waiting in the hot desert sun for hours, but there was still no sign of the bloodthirsty barbarians. "Maybe they've gotten smarter and ran off," commented Daxter, holding Tess by his side, never wanting to leave her. Tagging along were Torn, Ashlynn, and Keira. Still upset about Jak and Ashlynn's kiss earlier in the year, she refused to talk to him, even though he was regretful of the kiss himself. 

"Wait, I think I see something!" Out in the distance, a small figure climbed over a large sand dune. As the tiny dot grew closer, Jak was able to tell that the figure was actually a person. A small person. In a minute or two, the little elf came nearer and nearer, unaware of the fact that she was being watched. "Is that a Marauder?" asked Torn, obviously surprised to see such a small girl out in the Wasteland. "I think so," answered Keira, stepping forward to get a better look.

The young girl wore a grey bandana on her head with the symbol of the Marauders on the front, pulling back her short brown hair with just a few bangs hanging down on the right side. Her shirt was off-white and came halfway down her body, letting bandages cover up the space below so that not a piece of flesh was showing on her torso. Yellow and black knee and elbow pads gripped tightly on her, adorned with spikes in the middle, making them lethal weapons if stabbed with them. Shorts of the same bright color of grey on her bandana came a small length below her hips, showing extra portions of leg that could've been inappropriate for her age, but they were covered up by a brown skirt that wrapped halfway around and was cut off on her left side. Finally, she had on grey boots to match the grey bandana and shorts. She was definitely a Marauder.

"When I give the signal, grab her, but don't shoot. Got it?" Everyone nodded at Jak's command except Keira. "Why don't we just leave her alone? She doesn't look dangerous…" Indeed she didn't, but what they couldn't see was the oddly shaped dagger tied to her right boot. At last she was only ten feet away from their hiding space where they had parked the Freedom Fighter train that they had arrived on. "Ready…NOW!" All at once the group leaped out on top of the fragile girl. Surprised by their sudden attack, she went down unusually fast. She struggled to get the crowd off of her but failed repetitively. Finally, the weight was too intense. The young girl gave way to her attackers. "We've got her!" Daxter shouted, jumping off of the dog pile. The others began to loosen up, relieving their grip on her. This was their biggest mistake. She flung her arms, hitting everyone in her way.

"Fools! Don't ever let your guard down! Not even for me!" She drew the dagger from her boot, causing Keira to gasp. The dagger wasn't just any weapon, it was the most dangerous of all. It curved upward, giving it the shape of a pirate's sword. A few inches from the grip was a half circle cut out on the right side of it. Another half circle was cut a couple of inches above the other on the left side. If anyone was stabbed with the weapon, it would be lodged by the gaps in the dagger, usually killing the enemy. She lifted it up high as the others backed away. Slowly but surely, Jak reached behind his back carefully as not to draw her attention. When she finally put the dagger back in its place, she began to run in the opposite direction. Now it was her turn to make the mistake. Jak quickly whipped out the Morph Gun. "Jak, don't shoot her!" screamed Keira, grabbing a hold of his arm. Ignoring Keira's pleas, he took aim at the girl's feet.

Barely nipping her heel with Blaster Shot, she went down, not in pain, but in fear. She scrambled to find balance as she got up again, never losing her pace. Torn, Jak, and Daxter took after her, Ashlynn, Keira, and Tess close behind. Catching up quickly, Torn tackled her and this time he never let go. Flinging her arms and legs madly, she screamed and yelled curses as the others stood beside her until she calmed down. "What did I ever do to you? You sick bastards! I have to go home!"

"Just answer a few questions and we'll let you go."

"Shoot."

"What's your name?" For some strange reason or another, Tess gained an uneasy feeling in her stomach. "Daxxie?" she asked frighteningly, grabbing hold of his arm. "Not now, baby. She's bein' a little feisty…" She shook him lightly, staring at the young girl's eyes. They were bright green, so there was nothing abnormal about them. But Tess could sense that something bad was about to happen.

Without warning, she sprung from Torn's strong grip and grabbed Tess, taking off in a sprint that not even Jak could match. "TESS!" yelled Daxter, chasing after them. It was no use. And to make things worse, she stopped and whistled sharply. A ghostly white leaper lizard came out from behind the rocks next to them. Climbing on top, she shoved Tess into the pack on the lizard's side. Before dashing off out of sight, she turned around and called back. "OH, AND MY NAME'S JORDAN!"

Daxter looked on as the thief ran off with his girlfriend. Jak picked him up and placed him on his usual spot on his shoulder. "It's okay, Dax. We'll get her. Don't worry." The Ottsel slowly nodded his head, never breaking his onward stare at the same direction in which they took off. As they loaded into the Freedom Fighter train, all he could think about was Tess…

* * *

Squealing in anger and fear, Tess fought to escape the hot and cramped bag. Feeling around for the opening, the pushed and the flap gave way. Jumping out as quickly as she could, Tess tried to avoid being seen. As she fell to the ground, she felt a boney hand grab her waist. "Shit!" she screamed, letting herself go with the hand. Instead of shoving her back into the bag, Jordan sat her on the head of the now halted lizard. When Tess looked closer, she could tell that she was crying. 

" Jordan? Jordan, what's wrong?" Of all the years of being a bar maid, she had some experience with emotional problems. "They hate me. Everyone does." The she-Ottsel slid down onto the leaper's neck. "Who?"

"Everyone in general. The Marauders. Your friends. Everybody."

"That's not true! You have to have some sort of friend!"

"I do. And I thank God for it. But I was just recently kicked out of my camp because they thought of my as nothing but a worthless and frail wretch. If only they could've seen me fight your people…" Tess thought for a moment. It was true. She fought like a real warrior. And if the Marauder's saw that, they would've taken her back. "What happened to your friend?"

"She had to stay behind and train other more experienced fighters. I wasn't good enough, so they threw me out. Tiffany couldn't do anything to stop them, she just wasn't strong enough. They killed her." A fresh wave of tears was brought forth with these words. "She tried to fight them. For ME! She was the only one that cared and now she's gone!"

Tess wrapped her arms around Jordan's neck. "It's going to be okay!" she said in a squeaky yet comforting voice. "I'll be your friend…for as long as you need me." Jordan leaned back and wiped the dry tear lines from her face. "Really?" The Ottsel nodded and hugged her again. When they pulled apart, everything was silent. "Now, where are we headed?" The girl shrugged and pulled out a map. "Let's see. We're hundreds of miles from Haven, so it might take us a while to get there. But I can take you back to that other rat that was chasing after you."

"What?"

"Yeah, this little orange rat was running after us yelling your name. I can take you back-"

"No, you need me. I'll stay with you for a while. Just to make sure you're alright." Jordan smiled a warm and childish smile. She looked back down at her map. "Well, if we're not going back to Haven, we can go to Spargus," said Tess, smiling as she looked back up at her new friend. For some strange reason, she wasn't smiling back. "What now?"

"I can't go to Spargus."

"Why not?"

"I'm a Marauder. They know me. I've been marked down for quite a lot of crimes there…" Her voice trailed off at "crimes". "Well, maybe we can find another place!" she said optimistically. "How 'bout here?" She pointed at a small dot on the map a little further away from Spargus. "There? Are you sure?"

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"That right there is the Lost City of Amorad, the very first Marauder ever to walk the face of this desert. I've heard some pretty mean rumors about that place, but it doesn't look like we have much choice here. I guess we'd better rest up. We've got a long day ahead of us!"


	2. Amorad

**_Chapter Two: Amorad_**

"Jak! We have to go after her!" yelled Daxter, unhappy that they were leaving his sweetheart behind with the bandit. "What if she hurts her?"

"Don't worry, Dax. She'll be fine. We have to figuire out where she's going first." The Ottsel sat down, giving up on the argument. As the train landed, everyone got out in a single file line. Keira was in the back. Unfortunately for her Jak noticed. "Keira, what's wrong?"

"You! I can't believe you kissed Ashlynn!"

"She was the first one there! What would you have done if you had just saved the world?"

"Waited for you!"

"Yeah, right…"

While everyone else entered the Naughty Ottsel, Jak and Keira stood outside taking their "conversation" further than it needed to go. "Listen, Keir. I'm sorry! I couldn't help it. I'm a guy, and that's what you need to understand!"

"Understand? I think _you're _the one who needs to understand! How do you think I felt when the people of Haven said that you two would make a wonderful couple?"

"No matter what you say, Ashlynn and I have nothing! She loves Torn, and that's easy to see."

He pointed behind him to where they were sitting. Torn and Ashlynn were hand in hand, talking about the same thing Jak and Keira were. He only wished that they could work things out as easily as they could. Keira's face loosened up. _Damn! This was your number one chance with him and you blew it_, she thought. "Uh, Jak? I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions…"

"No, you obviously think Ashlynn and I are the 'perfect couple,' so maybe we should be…"

"Jak! Please!"

"No, Keira! If you would have believed me the first time this wouldn't have happened!" Instead of going into the Naughty Ottsel, Jak headed for Keira's garage. As she watched him go, she let a small tear drop to the ground. "Way to go, Keira…"

* * *

"So this Amorad, what did he do?" asked Tess, sitting in front of Jordan on the leaper lizard. Jordan shook her head and answered. "Amorad wasn't a guy. She was the best of all the Marauders, and I hope to be like her one day."

"Amorad was a _girl_? I never would have guessed the first Marauder would have been female!"

"Nobody did. Except Mar."

"Mar? What did he have to do with Amorad?"

"She was his wife."

"WHAT! How did that happen?"

"You see, it's kind of complicated, so it might take a while to explain. I hope you have some spare time…" Tess giggled. "Out here, I have all the free time in the world!"

"Okay, here goes. Mar and Amorad met during the Great War of the Wasteland. Amorad injured herself and was stranded in a crevice near the battle field. Later on, Mar went back to look for survivors and found her. Soon, they fell in love and were married. It wasn't long before her tribe found out that she was mixing with the outsiders, so they raged an attack on Haven. Mar loved Amorad too much to let her die in that war, so they ran away far out into the Wasteland. Unfortunately, they were captured by the tribe. They threatened to kill them both, but Mar had a plan. One night he managed to escape and free her. Amorad rallied up enough troops to fight against the army. Once they were defeated, they made her the queen of the Wasteland. Amorad was devastated when she learned that Mar was to go back to his people, who clearly wanted the outlaws gone. So she named her tribe the 'Mar'auders."

Tess was interested in the story of Mar and Amorad. "Wow, I never would have thought that Mar would marry a Marauder!" Jordan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, pretty weird, huh?"

All of a sudden, the leaper lizard reared up and knocked both Jordan and Tess off. They sat up rubbing their heads and watched the animal run away. "What's his problem?" asked Tess, dusting off her backside. "He's scared. Something's terribly wrong…" She could hear footsteps in the distance. "Tess," she said coldly, drawing out her dagger. "Run."

"Wha-?"

"JUST DO IT!" Tess gulped and began to back away from her. "Jordan, you're scaring me, what's going-AGH!" Jordan spun around to find Tess being bound and gagged by a group of Marauders from her tribe. "Ha! If it isn't the little slave girl! What are you doing so close to our tribe?" Behind the leader were the three slave drivers with their whips, snapping them mockingly. "Run along now, Jordan. You have no use for this rat…"

"You sons of bitches! Let her go!" Jordan twirled her dagger around, issuing her challenge. "So you want to battle me? Very well. I should have rid of you back at the camp!" The three Marauders stepped back, taking Tess away so that their leader would have room to fight. "Say your prayers!" He leapt at her, drawing his sword from behind his back. Tess squeaked at the size of it. There was no way that she could take on such a fantastic weapon. But Jordan didn't look the least bit worried. She dodged each and every one of his attacks gracefully. Aggravated that he was unable to hit her, he formed another plan. He motioned for the rest of his crew to make a circle around her. Soon, Jordan was trapped in between all of the Marauders. Tess was set aside.

"Foolish little girl. This is exactly why we threw you out of our tribe! Now, this won't hurt much." He slowly positioned his sword against the column of her throat. The she-Ottsel screamed and growled at the top of her lungs, but the binds and gag held her back. The young girl was helpless. Or so they thought…

* * *

"Where's Jak?" Keira entered the bar looking depressed and miserable. "Huh, Keir?"

"Gone. He's so mad, Daxter. What do I do?" The orange Ottsel scratched his head. "Well, I don't know really. How mad?"

"Very, very mad. And I'm the cause!" She buried her head in her hands. "He said that he and Ashlynn had nothing going on between them. And I didn't listen, so he walked away…" The few sat in silence until Torn's communicator came to life. It was Jak. "Torn! I think I may have found Tess!" Daxter sat up straight and grabbed the commi. "WHERE IS SHE!"

"I attached a beacon to that girl's foot before she got away. They've stopped next to some sort of Marauder camp."

"So she _is _a Marauder. We have to save her from that tribe!"

"I still don't think she's dangerous, you guys. What if she's going around it?"

"Nobody would get that close to a Marauder camp, Keira. Trust me." The communicator shut off and fell onto the bar.

"Well," said Torn as he stood up from his stool. "I suggest we get going."

The Marauders closed in on their prey as she slowly back up against a rock wall. "Come now, Jordan. No one can save you now!"

"Who said I need anyone to save me?" She held out her dagger and pointed it at him. "Hmph, pathetic," he sneered. "I would give up if I were you!"

"If you were me, you'd be better looking." He growled in anger and lashed out, ripping the bandages to shreds. Jordan fell to her knees, clutching her stomach all the way down. Tess gasped as she saw Jordan turn her back towards her, never taking her eyes off the attackers. Scars completely covered the lower part of her torso, and she assumed that there were more under her shirt.

"You bastards!" she screamed through her gag. But they couldn't hear her from so far away. As Jordan stood again, she looked up above their heads. Her eyes widened with fear. The same Freedom Fighter train that almost captured her was back.

"Damn!" shouted one of the slave drivers, unbinding Tess. "Let's get out of here. It's Jak!" All the Marauders, even the leader, ran away, leaving Tess to help Jordan pick up the bandages. "Jordan, you're hurt. You have to go see a doctor…"

"No! They're coming! I must run!" Leaving the rest of the dirty cloth on the ground, she sprinted in the direction of the city of Amorad. "JORDAN!" she called after her. "YOU'RE TOO WEAK! COME BACK!" It was no use. Jordan was already out of sight. Daxter grabbed Tess and pulled her into a hug.

"Tess! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Daxxie! We have to go after her!"

"We will, and once we catch her, she'll be arrested!" Tess shook her head. "No! She's hurt! You can't! I promised that I would be there for her!"

"Tess, you've gone out of your mind! She's a Marauder, and no Marauder deserves to live…"

"DAXTER, SHE WAS ABUSED!" she screamed, pulling away from him. The others caught up with Daxter.

"You haven't been with us for five minutes and you're already yelling at us?"

"Jak! You have to believe me! She was only trying to help."

"How? By kidnapping you?"

"Oh please, Tess," said Keira. "She's a Marauder. You can't trust them." The she-Ottsel shook her head in disbelief. "Why do you have to be stereo typists? Not all Marauders are alike!" Daxter grabbed her again by the shoulders and stared her straight in the eyes. "She took you away from me! Do you know how worried I was?"

"Jordan needs help. You don't know what she's been through. I thought you would see that. But I guess you don't." She roughly jerked away from him and got into the train. The rest followed behind with Jak and Daxter staying outside. "So I guess you're not proposing to her tonight are you?"

"Shut up, Jak."

* * *

The young girl ran fiercely through the desert, kicking up dust as she went. _Tess, you said you were my friend, not my enemy! _Another wave of pain wracked her body. Jordan fell to the ground, dropping her dagger that she had forgotten to put away. _Why, Tess? Why? _She coughed a few times and closed her eyes. _No! Don't pass out! You'll die! _Not even her thoughts could tell her what to do. Slowly, she drifted off into a long, long sleep.

It was that dream again. That horrible, horrible dream. She was running in darkness, nothing but pitch black darkness. All she could see was herself and the bright light ahead of her. _What is that? _All of a sudden, a circle of yellow light appeared under her. It grew bigger and bigger until it became at least thirty feet wide. She slowly approached the mysterious light, making her shadow larger. Finally, she was standing right under it. She could feel something, like a cold snake, coiling around her body. _There it is again! _Jordan turned away from the light and screamed in horror. Her shadow had left the ground and was making its way around her leg. As hard as she tried, there was no escape. Soon, she was under the darkness again.

"No!" Jordan sat up, checking her surroundings. It was dark. And cold. No one was around for miles, and she was beginning to feel lonely. "Tess," she whined, curling back up into a little ball on the ground. "I need you," she said in a quiet whisper. "I NEED YOU!"


	3. Nightmares

_**Chapter Three: Nightmares**_

"Tess!" she whined again, hoping that she would hear her. No one called back. Scrunching up tighter and tighter with every noise she heard that night, Jordan had no idea that one of the noises was actually Tess.

"Daxter, I have to go to her!"

"Not yet, Sweet Cheeks. I have to make sure that I can actually trust her."

"Yeah, Tess," said Jak, crouching down next to them. "Let's not be too careless."

"I don't believe you two!"

"Shhh!" They covered her mouth with their hands and looked onward. There lay Jordan, fast asleep. Occasionally she would twitch or groan. Finally, Tess couldn't take it anymore. Ignoring Jak and Daxter, she ran to her, gently pushing the teenager. "Jordan, don't worry. It's me."

"Tess!" Instead of drawing her sword like Jak and Daxter expected, she hugged the Ottsel warmly. "I didn't think I would ever see you again!"

"Hey, I said I would stay with you no matter how long it takes!" They hugged again and began a conversation. The two behind the rock listening to every word. "So, are you still going with me to Amorad?"

"Maybe. Jak, Daxter! Get out from behind there!" They sighed and stood up from their hiding space. Jordan leapt to her feet with fear. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked. "All I wanted was a friend!"

"Don't you have any friends where you live?" Jordan sat down and put her head on top of her knees. "No," she mumbled.

Tess put her hands on her hips and scolded Daxter with her eyes. She put a furry paw on her new friend's boney shoulder. "Jordan! You have to eat something!"

"No I don't. I've been trained not to eat for days." These words touched her heart. "Jordan, talking about what you went through will make you feel better. I want you to tell me exactly what happened and what they did to you at that camp." Jak and Daxter sat beside them.

"If you say so. As you may know, I was born out here in the Wasteland in that tribe, well, I think I was. That's what my foster family told me. When I turned six, they took me away from my parents to begin training. One day, there was an attack outside the tribe. Damas's army was penetrating our camp. My foster parents were killed by Damas himself." Jak winced at the thought of his own father killing and innocent girl's parents. "I swore to myself that I would get revenge on him one day. But he was killed before I got the chance.

"After that, they stopped training me and made me a slave. Day in and day out I would shove things around the camp and take orders from my mentors. It was horrible. They even had whips! Sometimes they would add blades…" She pointed at her lower torso which was covered in scars. Jak's mouth hung wide open.

"Jordan, I had no idea…"

"Yeah, I know. And to make it worse, I was hated all around the tribe."

"Why?"

"Well, one day I was minding my own business when all of a sudden there was an explosion on the other side of the camp. I rushed over to see what it was, leaving my work behind. Someone had lit a bomb inside the weaponry tent. When the dust cleared, I was the only one there. They found me standing in front of it and immediately blamed me for it."

"Sounds familiar," mumbled Jak, thinking of the previous war and Keira. "Mm hm, and the one person who told on me is none other than that low lying, slime sucking, yellow belly, blood thirsty, no good Christina!"

"Who's that?"

"A girl in my camp. She is the most preppy person I have ever met. She's like a goddess to the rest of the popular girls there. It's their job to make my life a living hell. Every day she would make up a lie about me and get me in trouble. I hate her!" She pounded the ground with her fist. "Well, at least you don't have to deal with her anymore!" said Daxter enthusiastically. "By the way, where did you get that dagger?

"My 'father' gave it to me before he died. He said if anything should happen to them, always have it by my side. I never leave it behind, even if they weren't my real parents."

They sat in silence for a while before Daxter broke the ice again. "Well, let's get some shut eye." The rest nodded in agreement. Only Jordan lay there sleepless, ready to make her escape…

"Daddy, I was so cruel to him. I thought he was a cheater and he wasn't. I guess it _was _just a kiss between friends…"

"Don't worry, Keira. He'll come around."

"No, he said that Ashlynn and Torn love each other! And I acted as if they did. I'm so confused, Daddy." He put her hand on hers and smiled. "Keira, you have to stop worrying! Jak will come around."

"Not unless I talk to him…" She stood and exited the Naughty Ottsel. "Not unless I talk with him…"

The next morning, Tess, Daxter, and Jak woke up at about four o'clock. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Tess mumbled lazily. "How did you sleep, Jordan? Jordan? Jordan!" They looked around for her, but she was nowhere to be found. Neither was Jak. "Where could they be?"

"I dunno'. We should keep looking."

The she-Ottsel suddenly gasped and pointed over the hill. Daxter too gasped at the lovely sight. The sun was peeking over a nearby sand dune, coloring the sand red with its bright light. Although the sun was rising, the sky was still purple from the night before, giving the ground an even more impressive shade. Blue clouds hung overhead, gleaming with red from the sun. The couple stared at the beautiful sight before realizing the two humans standing on the hill. Jordan and Jak.

"Sure is beautiful," whispered Jordan, running her fingers through the sand. "Yeah," answered Jak. He leaned back and watched as the sun rose higher. "I used to come out here every day when I lived back at the Marauder camp. Of course, I would always get scolded." Jak sat up again and looked at her. "Jordan, where are you going again?"

"The Lost City of Amorad. Heh, I guess I never mentioned that she was a time traveler also!"

"Really? Why didn't you tell us all this stuff last night?"

"Cause I knew that Daxter would ask questions…"

"Oh, okay then. Well, when you said that Mar had married her, did they have a child?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Well, like Mar and Amorad, his daughter was a time traveler. She fell into a time rift when she was little baby. Nobody knows where she is. Some say that she exists in this time period."

"Do you know who I really am?"

"Of coarse, you're Mar himself. I think everyone knows about that. Why didn't you go into the past to marry Amorad?"

"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to stay here…with Keira."

"Is she that green haired girl?"

"Yeah," he said, closing his eyes to shut out the bad memory of his kiss with Ashlynn. "Keira means everything to me, although she doesn't know it…"

Jordan and Jak sat in silence for a while. "Well, I suppose you'd better be getting back to the city. After all, they _are _your people." There was a touch of sadness in her voice, as if she regretted ever meeting them, afraid to be heartbroken by losing more friends. "Yeah, I guess we should. See ya' round sometime…" He stood and went to meet Daxter and Tess, head hung all the way. "Let's go," said Daxter, grabbing Tess's hand. Again, she pulled away from him. "Daxter!"

"Tess…" She looked up at the tall elf. Jak winked at her sneakily. A kind and thanking smile spread across her face. "Well, let's go then, Daxxie. I guess she can make it on her own…"

"Why'd she have to go?" Jordan sat rubbing her hand in the sand while trying her best to remember where she was going. "If I go to see her, I'll die on the way. But I don't remember the way to Amorad." When the Marauders attacked the map was still on the leaper lizard's saddle. And where it ran away was at least a mile back. "Wow, I don't think I've ever been this screwed before," she mumbled in a joking voice.

She'd managed to save her pack before it ran away. It contained an extra change of clothes, a bottle of water that would no doubt last less than a day, and her compass. _A lot of good that'll do at a time like this… _When Jak and the others left, she changed into her extra clothes. She now wore a quarter sleeve shirt that came down almost to her knees, but hugged her tightly to make it fit. On the shirt were four slits resembling tiger strips cut out on the side, revealing the new bandages under it. Her pants were grey and torn at the ends from her many days of laboring. She no longer had on her grey boots and protective knee and elbow guards. Instead, she pitched them off to the side, running around in her bare feet.

Jordan began to wiggle her toes. _I feel better, but I don't. I'm just a little walking oxymoron… _Without a care in the world who saw her, she jumped to her feet and began to trudge onward while singing:

_I open my eyes_

_I try to see by I'm blinded by the white light._

_I can't remember how_

_I can't remember why_

_I'm lying here tonight…_

_And I can't stand the pain,_

_And I can't make it go away_

_No I can't stand the pain…_

_How could this happen to me?_

_I made my mistakes,_

_I've got nowhere to run._

_The night goes on_

_As I'm fading away._

_I'm sick of this life._

_I just want to scream:_

_How could this happen to me?_

_Everybody's screaming,_

_I try to make a sound but no one hears me._

_I'm slipping off the edge,_

_I'm hanging by a thread._

_I wanna' start this over again…_

_So I try to hold on to a time that mattered_

_And I can't explain what happened,_

_And I can't erase the things that I've done,_

_No I can't…_

_How could this happen to me?_

_I've made my mistakes,_

_I've got nowhere to run._

_The night goes on_

_As I'm fading away._

_I'm sick of this life._

_I just want to scream:_

_How could this happen to me?_

_I made my mistakes,_

_I've got nowhere to run._

_The night goes on_

_As I'm fading away._

_I'm sick of this life._

_I just want to scream:_

_How could this happen to me?_


	4. Christina

_**Chapter Four: Christina**_

Here it was. The second part of her dream. Floating amidst the never ending darkness. Suddenly, she began to fall faster and faster. Another light formed beneath her, this time blue. To her astonishment, instead of crashing into the light, she slowed down and softly landed on her back. When she stood up, a faint door appeared in front of her. Curiosity overwhelmed her, and she tried opening it. Her hand went right through it. _What could open this door? _Searching for some sort of key, another chill swept through her body. _Not again! _Instead of her own shadow, a larger and brighter figure emerged from the pitch black air, seizing her until she could breathe no longer…

"Agh!" she screamed, sitting up and looking around frantically for the shadow that grabbed her. "Damn, this has gone on long enough! I can't wait to get to Amorad. Maybe they'll know what to do…" Instead of going back to sleep, she stood and dusted off her back. _Perhaps I should go back… _"No, I can't. Not after I've gone this far. I won't give up! Amorad didn't!" Furiously stomping her foot in the ground, she marched on with no idea where she was going…

* * *

"Jak?" Keira peeked around the corner off his new apartment set aside for him by _Ashlynn_. _She betrayed him. She just acted as if nothing happened. He had the heart to come and tell me… _He spun around to his open door. "Oh," he said disappointingly, hoping that she hadn't been the one to knock on his door. "Jak, I just want to talk to you." 

"Go ahead, talk." _Aw, shit! _Keira had never thought about what she was going to say. "I…uh. Hang on." She put her hand to the temple of her head and massaged it. _Damn it. Now what? You look like a fool if front of him and you don't know what to say. Way to go… _"Well?"

"I'm trying so hard, Jak! I don't know what to say. I guess sorry would be a good start…"

"Keira," he said as he stood up. "Me, too. I shouldn't have kissed Ashlynn either way it went." He planted a small kiss on her forehead. "But right now, I've got some business to attend to."

"What?"

"It's Jordan. She's all alone out there with no idea where she's going. I have to go back for her."

"Can I come?" She hugged his tightly around his waist and smiled innocently. "Keira, I don't want you to get hurt. This is something only Tess and I can do."

"What does Tess have to do with her?"

"Jordan won't listen to us much. Tess is the only one who truly understands what she's talking about."

"I'm coming no matter what you say!"

"Keir-…" He was cut off when Keira suddenly lifted up and kissed his lips. At first he was surprised, but he eventually loosened up. "Sure, you can go…"

* * *

"Grrrr!" Jordan kicked at the sand again. "That's the third time I've been past that rock! And that tree!" Lost in her own rage, she began to pound at the ground with her fists and her legs. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid Wasteland!" 

"What's your problem?" She jumped at least two feet into the air. _Christina? _Sure enough, there she was. Standing in the same slavery clothes that Jordan was wearing. Dropping her look of surprise, her mouth twisted into a sneer and her eyes glowed with hatred. "What do you want?" she barked, pulling her dagger from under the leg off her pants. "I want to go with you."

"Well, how'd you get out here in the first place?"

"Uh, through the door…" _God, that's what I hate about her. She's such a smart ass! _"No, you moron, _why_?"

"'Cause I felt like it." _That's it. _"TELL ME NOW OR YOUR THROAT IS AS GOOD AS MINE!" she screamed, taking aim at Christina's neck. She knew full well that Jordan would kill her if anyone wasn't around to watch, so she quickly swallowed hard. "I got kicked out, too!"

"Why?"

"First, let me start by saying that your friend isn't really dead…" Jordan leapt up into the air. "She isn't? What happened?"

"She was beat up pretty bad, but they stopped before they killed her and locked her up in Amorad. Like you, everyone else thought that she was dead, except me. I saw the whole thing. I even watched them throw her into the back of a Marauder buggy. That's why they through me out. I'm the only one who saw besides the slave drivers."

"Wow, I can't believe she's not dead. That's another good reason that I have to figure out where I'm going.

"Where _are _you going? And why were you throwing a hissy fit?"

"Long story short, I'm going to Amorad to meet Mar's daughter. I want to learn as much as I can so that I can be a great leader just like her mother and father. Then those slave drivers won't know what hit them!"

"Sooooo. Can I come with?"

"Sure, why not. You obviously don't have the skills to survive out here…"

"Hey!"

"Well, it's true! When's the last time you've ever fought anyone? Have you ever taken on _six _Haven City citizens? Have you ever went up against warriors of our own tribe? I think not."

"Fine then. I'll stop being mean to you if you teach me how to be a real Marauder."

"You're not a Marauder anymore, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, what are we then?"

"Hmmm, since I'm going to be a great leader with _Tiffany _as my first commander and you as my jester…" Christina glared at her. "I suppose we could make up our own tribe. But you've got to do exactly as I say."

"Okay, sounds fair. So what's your 'tribe,' going to be called?"

"I'll think about it. Now let's go." Christina nodded and walked behind her. FAR behind her.

"Oh yeah…" Christina's elvin ears perked up, answering in their own special way to Jordan's voice. "Do you know the way to Amorad?"

* * *

"Jak, are you sure she's out here?" Torn, Ashlynn, Keira, Daxter, and Tess sat beside Jak who was looking out the window and back to his locater over and over again. "Why don't we go back, we can find her easily back at Haven." 

"Wait, I think I see her…" The rest crowded the window to see Jordan and a mysterious girl, both with their weapons drawn.

"Okay, Christina. Now focus. Where do you want to attack?"

"The leg or the chest."

"Great! Now, how will you do it?"

"Quickly and quietly!"

"Fantastic! Show me." Christina lifted her dagger up high and sighed. "How far do you want me to go?"

"Just enough to where your blade is touching me."

"Jak! She's about to attack her! Do something!"

"Hang on Jordan!" They swooped down from the sky only a few feet away from Jordan and Christina. "Jordan, who's-ACK!" Torn grabbed Christina and already put her in a headlock. "Get away from her!"

"Jak! Tess! Daxter!"

"It's okay, Jordan. We're here now. Get that girl into the train!"

"NO!" squealed Christina, kicking and flinging her arms around. "Jak, Tess, I'm glad you're here, but I was training her!"

"Oh…" Torn dropped Christina on the ground, who got up complaining and whining all the way. "Good God, Jordan. You have weird friends! And-IS THAT A RAT!" She pointed at Daxter. "Hmph! I beg to differ! I'm an Ottsel!"

"An Ottsel? What the hell is an Ottsel?" Jak leaned over in her ear and whispered the secret only the ones around her knew.

"You've got to be kidding me. Ottsels, Precursors?" Everyone nodded. "Damn, now that's screwed…"

"Jordan, we've come to help you on your way to Amorad."

"Really? Thanks! I had no idea where I was going!"

"No kidding. Amorad is that way!" Jak pointed in the opposite direction of where Jordan intended on going. "Oh…okay. I knew I was going around in circles." Torn yawned lazily and stretched. "Hey guys, me and Ashlynn are gonna' head back to Haven. Call us every once in a while to let us know how you're doin'." He and Ashlynn left in the train, leaving the others to get to Amorad on their own.

"Hey, Jordan…" She turned around smiling from ear to ear. "I found this on the way…" He reached behind his back and pulled out her map. "Hey, did you manage to find my leaper?"

"Yeah, we sent him back to Spargus. I suggest we go there and pick up a few before we head out for Amorad." Tess and Jordan frowned. "I can't go there. They'll kill me."

"Don't worry, the citizens are naturally rough."

"No, I mean it. They'll literally kill me. Remember, I was a Marauder. Speaking of which, Christina and I were thinking of names for this new Marauder tribe that I'm gonna' start when I rescue Tiffany."

"But, Jordan, I though she was dead!"

"So did I, but Christina saw the whole thing. She's in Amorad. All the more reason to go there." Tess jumped on her shoulder and Daxter jumped on Jak's.

Looking at her map, Jordan pointed at Spargus. "It's not far from here. I guess if I disguised myself…"

"Hey, what about me?" The whiny teenager put her hands on her hips. "I was a Marauder!"

"Not really. You never left the camp, you prep!"

"Slob!"

"Jerk!"

"Ah! You're so impossible!"

"Knock it off! Sheesh, if this desert doesn't kill us, you will!"

Jordan and Christina crossed their arms. "You can't tell us what to do!" Jak pulled out his Morph Gun. "I can't, but this can!"

"I'm bored. Jordan, sing for us," whined Christina. Jordan looked back. "How did you know that I sang?"

"I could hear you last night. That's how I found you." Tess shimmied up Jordan's leg until she reached her head. "Please, Jordan! Sing, sing!" Jak and Daxter came up from behind and caught her. "We won't let you go until you start singing!" She sighed and cleared her throat as they let her go. "It's a small world after all!"

"ANYTHING BUT THAT!"

"Okay, okay…"

_Checkin' you out,  
I'm gettin' to know you,  
But this pain's so overwelming  
And I'm tryin' so hard to make to make it through..._

_When I was standin' all alone,  
You came walkin' into my life.  
_

_As the dawn rises higher,  
I can see your lovely face.  
And as the night climbs higher,  
I turn into a small disgrace.  
All I'm sayin' is hold me tight,  
So I can make it through the night!  
Just let me know  
That I will be alright!_


	5. Princess

_**Chapter Five: Princess**_

**Sorry 'bout the wait, I'm having a bit of writer's block here, like I mentioned in Return Through our children. Okay, before you get confused, let me shed some light on things before you get started. At the beginning of this chapter, we follow a couple of men who live in Amorad. This continues on for most of the chapter until the very end. Just tellin' ya' before you got confused!**

* * *

"Your Highness!" A young man tore down the long corridor, a small metal device in his hand. "Your Highness! I think we've found her, sir! She's coming to us!" He stopped right in front of a group of stairs, leading up to the King of Amorad. "Are you sure?" the King asked in a low, husky tone. "One cannot jump to conclusions at such an early time..." 

"I am sure, Your Majesty! She is the one! She is the Princess of Amorad! Daughter of Mar and Amorad herself! We've found her!" The now panting young man bent over to rest his hands on his knees. Slowly, the King stood from the throne that he had been sitting in the whole time.

His long white hair dangled in front of his face, signaling great age with the help of his slightly shorter grey beard. A blood red cape was draped carelessly around his shoulders along with straps that held up the bronze breast plate of his armor. He wore grey pants and the same color bronze foot guards clad his feet, making him look like the fiercest man alive.

"Let me see that," he demanded, snatching the device from the boy's hands. As he inspected the screen, he scratched his chin and smiled. "I can't see, my age is doing me worse and worse every day!"

"Oh, not to worry, sir! I'll fix that!" The King handed the screen back to him and he ran across the large room to an even larger one. "I'll just plug this in here..." With a great flash of light, the humongous screen came to life, giving the large man a better look at this so called "princess". "Hmm, yes, yes. She looks like the princess, and yet..." He tilted his head to the side. "She does not look royal, that's for sure. More like...hm. Well, we must bring her here! A full day of interrogation must take place! If she is truly the Princess of Amorad, then she would know it better than anyone."

"Wonderful idea, Your Majesty! But who shall we send out to find her?" Again the tall man scratched his chin. "Let me think..." He knew that most of his troops were out training the more inferior, so they were definetly out of the question. None of the people of Amorad would go. But the boy... "I've got it!" he said, his booming voice echoing through his palace. "Really, who shall go?"

"You, my boy! You are far more agile than any of my men! What do you say?"

"But, Sire! I have never been on a mission for the city! I'm not even supposed to leave our city walls!"

"Not to worry, young lad. This is your chance to prove yourself! Now, Krishna is it? Have you ever failed to do your duties?"

"Well, not yet, sir. But I-"

"Then what do you have to worry about? If you fail, then someone will come for you. I promise..." Krishna lowered his head and thought about the King's proposal. _What if she doesn't come with me? What if something happens to her? I can't do this! But the King is counting on me. And if I let the King down...I don't even want to think about it! I will. I will get that princess! _"I accept!"

"Atta' boy! Now, go prepare your things and be ready to set out in the early morning..."

On his way home, Krishna thought about the journey ahead. _I must get the Princess back here safely, no matter what it takes! _Hormones began to carry his thoughts elsewhere... _The Princess is rather lovely, if I do say so myself...No! I can't fall in love with her! If she really IS the Princess, and they take her into the Palace, it will just break my heart. So whatever I do, I can't get attached to her. Just go out, and bring her back... But what if she gets attached to me? What doI say to a girl who loves me, but I don't love her back? What am I saying. A Princess would never fall in love with a boy like me..._

With a heavy heart, he crawled into the hammock in his room and rolled over. _Now, what shall I say when I finally meet her? 'Princess! You've finally come! Follow me, I will take you home!' No, we don't even know if she's really the Princess yet. 'Hello, I'm Krishna. Are you looking to go to Amorad?' That could work. Butthere's still a chance that she's reallythe Princess of Amorad.That's no greeting for royalty! Hm, but it's better than the first one, so I'd better stick with it. _While Krishna played with his greetings, the King of Amorad was busy studying the Princess himself...

"Her eyes, they resemble her mother's, and so does her hair. But her frail body hardly resembles any of her parents. Wait, what's this? A sword? Could it be? She must have the warrior's spirit! Much like Mar that is...Oh, what to do!" He stared at the screen longer and longer as he tried to uncover the mystery. "Well, Krishna is going after her tomorrow, but we have to figure out where she is exactly..." The King drew a map from the golden topped table in front of him. "Let's see here, this tells me that she is about fifty miles west of Amorad. That would put her..." He stopped and marked a small place on the map. "Right here!"

The mark was placed not far from Spargus, which was probably where she was headed at the time. If she was harmed, the whole city might go under. "Oh, I can't even think about it. Ever since the very day we saw that rift gate open, we've done nothing but search. And now...all has been found..."

* * *

"Today's the big day, Krishna!" The whole entire city stood outside the walls of Amorad, anxious to see the young hero fufill his destiny: bring the Princess of Amorad where she belongs. "I hope you're ready!" 

"Most certainly! I will bring her back safe and sound!"

"Good! Now, here's a map, and that mark right there is where she was last spotted. Chances are she's headed for Spargus right now, so go there before you search the premises."

"Yes, sir!"

"Go now, Krishna. Go and find the Princess!" So he did. Krishna adjusted the pack dangling from his shoulder and trudged onward in the direction of Spargus...

* * *

"Jak, are you sure we're going the right way?" Jordan jogged to his side and stared up at him in wonder. "I'm sure of it. If you don't believe me, check out your map..." She nodded and did exactly that. "How much longer," asked Keira impatiently. "If we don't get there soon, we'll starve to death!"

"I know, Keir, but we have to hang on," he replied, putting his arm around her comfortingly. Tess, sitting on Jordan's shoulder, patted her head. "So, where are we?"

"We're here!" She pointed over the sand dune in front of them. Without another word, the entire group rushed to the top. There on the other side stood Spargus. "We made it!" cheered Daxter, hugging Tess, who hugged him back willingly. "Let's not waste time, let's go!"

"Wait!" cried Christina, catching Jordan by the arm. "We have to disguise ourselves!"

"Aw, that's right. But with what?" Everyone paused and looked around. Nothing. "Hmmm, maybe they've forgotten about us. You can't live in the past forever..." Leaving without disguising themselves, they sped up to reach Spargus. In less than thirty minutes, they arrived at the gate.

"Let me go in first," insisted Jak, pushing the others behind him. Jordan didn't care. "Hey! I said get back here!"

"No you didn't. You said 'Let me go first.' Well, everyone knows that ladies go first..." Under her breath, Christina mumbled, "It doesn't count for tomboys..."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

"Uh, nothin!" squealed Christina, cowering behind Keira's back. "I dare you to say it again!" she yelled, her hand slowly moving down to her shin. Christina let out another cry. "No, please! I'm sorry!"

"SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT FOR ALL THOSE TIMES I WAS BEATEN! SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT FOR ALL THOSE TIMES I WAS TORMENTED BY YOU! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT NOW?" Jak was slightly taken aback by her sudden outburst. "Jordan! Calm down, you're getting a little-"

"Feisty?" she asked, turning her head quickly to glare at Daxter, who, along with Tess, hid behind Keira with Christina. "I can't help that I can defend myself!" she said sarcastically. "You try it sometime..."

"Jordan, I know how you feel. I was locked up in a prison for two years being experimented with Dark Eco. Trust me, you don't know what THAT'S like!"

"Are you saying I don't know what torture is?"

"Maybe."

"Damn it! I never knew my parents! And you, you got to meet yours at least!"

"HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS HIS SON BEFORE HE DIED!"

"BUT HE KILLED THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME FROM SLAVERY. TWO YEARS? HA! TRY EIGHT!" Tess peeked around Keira's leg to find that Jordan and Jak were only a hair's width apart, the young girl on her toes to look the man in the eyes. "Jordan, I'm sorry your parents were killed, but you have to get over it!"

"GET OVER IT? YOU HAD A FRIENDS AND SOMEONE WHO TREATED YOU LIKE FAMILY IN YOUR PRESCHOOL STAGE! YOUR FATHER TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME AT THAT POINT! Hmph..." Without warning, she made to hit Jak square in the jaw, and made it. He staggered backwards about two or three steps, but quickly recovered to catch her next move. Jak threw her to the ground, leaving her panting with rage. "You've got anger issues..."

"No, I've got ALL of the issues! No family. No fri-..." She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Tess on Keira's shoulder. Getting up off the ground, she sighed. "You go to Spargus if you want, but I'M going to Amorad..."

"Jordan, wait!" the she-Ottsel cried, jumping from one shoulder to the next just to reach her. "Please! You'll die out there! You at least need to get some food and water!"

"I don't need those, remember?" She leaned over towards Jak and raised her voice. "_I was trained not to eat for days_!" He only crossed his arms and looked away. Without another word, she dropped Tess and took off, opposite direction of Spargus. "JORDAN!" But she never looked back. She just kept running toward the place that she would call home...


	6. Daughters

**Hey, Jordan Mar here! This chapter is actually quite funny. Wait 'til you find out who the princess is! It might not be who you guessed, or you maybe right. Just wait and see!**

**_Chapter Five: Krishna_**

"Jak, we have to go get her!" cried Tess, jumping back to his shoulder. "She can't make it on her own!"

"Who cares!" Every head turned towards Christina. "She was just a selfish retch that couldn't keep up with modern style and attitude!"

"I'll tell you Christina," said Keira with an unusually stern voice. "You may have the style, but I think Jordan has more attitude sense than you!" She crossed her arms and huffed. "So are we going to Spargus or what?"

"On one condition," said Jak, pulling out his Morph Gun. "You stay out here for a night, and we might consider letting you go with us to find Jordan." The teen pouted and stuck out her bottom lip. "But-"

"Nope! It's your choice! You can either endure one night, or you can go forever!"

"Fine! I'll stay out here!" As she watched the rest leave without her, she couldn't help but feel responsible for Jordan's reaction. "Damn it," she mumbled, sitting down and trying her hardest to make herself comfortable. "It's her fault I'm out here. If she hadn't been such a tomboy I wouldn't have made fun of her."

* * *

Jordan huffed angrily. _Two? TWO? What could he possibly know about torture? I mean, I know that Dark Eco is horrible stuff, but he's got it easy! At least they didn't keep him afterwards for slavery work... _Her anger only grew worse as she thought about Christina. "Grrrrrrr!" she growled, clenching her teeth until they hurt. "She's such a...a...there's not a word bad enough for her!" 

"You there!" _What the? _"Yes, you! Standing next to that rock!" She looked over to her side. _I'M standing next to a rock! _"I'm glad I found you!" Within seconds a boy that looked about her age came running to her side. "Um...hello?" she said, raising one eyebrow as he bent over panting.

His long, black hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a couple of strands hanging in front of his face. Emerald green eyes shown with determination and adventure, something that Jordan had been searching for insomeone all her life. The boy's face wasn't tight from years of torture, but nice and relaxed with freedom. He wore a white a tanktop and blood red pants to match the cloth that held back his hair. All Jordan could do was stare.

"Um, excuse me? Hello?" he said nervously, catching her never ending gaze. Never in her long years had she seen anyone so handsome and regal like a prince. Unfortunatly, she couldn't control the question that was boring a hole into her mind for the last fifteen seconds. "Are you some sort of prince?" He gave a slight chuckle and stood up straight. "No, but there's something that I need to ask you!"

"And what would that be?" she asked, again lifting her leg much like she did when Christina called her a tomboy. Jordan could feel the cool metal against her hand at last. The boy saw her touch the hem of her pants and smiled. He reached behind his back and drew a dagger exactly like hers. "I don't think you'll be needing that, Jordan..."

"Wait, how do you know my name?" Jordan drew the dagger from under the leg of her pants and held it towards him. "I know many things about you. Like where you came from, who you are traveling with. In fact, I believe you are traveling with the Princess of Amorad..." Her eyes widened with astonishment. "Really?" _Wow, I was with the Princess all along! But who is it? _

"Is it...Tess?" He shook his head no. "Is it...Keira?" Once again, he shook his head from side to side. "Is it...oh God, please don't tell me it's _Christina_!" Yet again, he said no. "Hmmm...If nobody I'm traveling with is the princess, then that must mean..." Her eyes widened as he nodded his head up and down. "That's right, Your Highness. You are the Princess of Amorad!"

* * *

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! How do ya' like that, son of a- OMPH!" Tiffany collapsed due to the small rock lauched at her head. "Fine then, if that's the way you wanna' play..." She picked up the rock and hurled it back at the guard that was hot on her trail. Just like she had planned, it hit him square between the eyes. "HA! Catch me now!" That was all the guard needed to get back on his feet and begin chasing her again. 

"You're so slow!" she taunted, obviously amused by his struggles. "What kind of prison is this? I've seen better security at Haven!" Once again she took off, this time out the door. "FREEEEEEEEE!" she screamed as she fell on her knees. Snapping back to reality, she knew this wasn't the time to celebrate. She was still in Amorad. "Gotta' find Jordan. No telling WHAT they've done to her...And I don't even know who THEY are!" Worried for her friend, she scrambled to her feet and sprinted toward the city gates. Many citizens had heard about her already, so most of them tried to grab her as she ran.

_Wait a minute... _"I have to talk to the King..." Screeching to a halt, she wound back and ran the other way towards the humongous tower on the other side of the city. _I should have told her about this so long ago... It's not fair that she's getting punished. It's not fair that I'M getting punished! I was only protecting her...from the truth. Surely they would have killed her by now if she knew the truth! As soon as I find the King, I have to talk to Mar... _

About two minutes later she arrived at the fort. Careful as not to be discovered, she peeked around the doorway to make sure that the same guard that had been chasing her had not alerted the tower guards already. "Hey! You!" _Damn...busted. _But just before she had readied herself for battle, the familiar face that had called her stopped her from launching at him. "Tristan?"

"Tiffany? My sister! What are you doing here?" Tiffany embraced her older brother with excitement and relief. "I can't believe it's beeneight years! How's Jordan?" She froze at his last words. "J-Jordan?"

"Yeah! The one that Mar said to protect. You know! His daughter?" Now that he was talking to her like an idiot, she felt less happy to see him. And the fact that she had no idea where Jordan was only added to her misery. "Yeah, I know. Listen, Jordan's gone. They kicked her out of the camp. I've been lying to you these past few years. She's been a slave. There was nothing I could do..." He lowered his head and sighed. "Tiffany, you know it was your duty to protect her..."

"And I did! I made sure those bastards didn't kill her every day!" He fell silent at her sudden outburst. "Now, Tiffany...What do you suppose we should do?"

"First, I need to see the King. He needs to know that she's still alive and well...I guess." Thoughts of her friend being dead scared her more than anything. "We have to get her on the throne. The poor old man can't handle it anymore," commented Tristan, looking down at the floor. "Do you have any idea as to her current location?"

"Well, is anyone searching for her?"

"Do you remember your old friend Krishna?"

"Yes! How is he?"

"He is out searching for her right now. Maybe if we contact him..."

"But we must see the King first!" Tristan sighed and grabbed her by the hand. The corridors were unusually empty, but Tiffany didn't complain since she was currently a convict. Once at the large doors that lead to the Grand Room, they took a deep breath and shoved them open...

* * *

"Urk...um...I," she stuttered, at a loss for words at what she had just heard. _ME? How? What? When? Where? WHY? _"Er, are you okay?" Krishna asked worriedly. "Y-yes," she said dryly. Sitting down on the ground with her, he began to explain. "Jordan, it was Tiffany that revealed your whereabouts to us. She's not who you think she is." 

"She's not?"

"No. She is the Great Tristan's younger sister. It was her job to protect you as you went about your life in the camp. We didn't want to take you away from what you seemed so happy with."

"Well, you got it all wrong," she replied. "I _wasn't _happy!"

"How can that be? When you were five-"

"When I was five I wasn't in slavery!" she screamed, standing up with rage. "For eight years I've been in slavery. My foster parents were killed by Damas. Then that brat Christina came along. She told lies until she got her way and I was nearly beaten to death! Does that sound like a happy life to you?"

"No...no it doesn't. I thought Tiffany would have taken better care of you..."

"And she did! No one in the camp gave a damn but Tiffany, she was the one who stood up for me. After I was thrown out of camp, I was told that she was KILLED! I thought I would commit scuicide that night but I didn't because Tess found me. If it weren't for this _I _would be dead!" Krishna fell silent as she once again sat down to catch her breath. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I don't-"

"Don't apologize. You've had so much bottled up. Just take it easy. Everything will be okay..."

"No, nothing will be okay. Tiffany's not dead, but she's not safe either. If I don't get to Amorad and take the trone, everything will go to hell!"

"That's why we have to get out of here. But first, let's find your father..." The truth hit her like a bucket of ice water. "That's right! Jak is my dad!" Wasting no time, she took off in the direction she came, leaving Krishna behind. "I'll wait here!" he called after her. She almost didn't hear him. Jordan was too busy concentrating on how she was to tell him that she was his daughter.

_Hi, Jak! Remember when I said that Amorad and Mar had a daughter? Well, that's me!_

_No way..._

_Jak, I am your DAUGHTER!_

_That's too creepy..._

_Um, Jak? We need to talk. I recently found out that I am the Princess of Amorad! Which makes you my father. You don't have to believe me, but I would feel a lot better if someone trusted me..._

_Yeah! That would work!_

**_HAHAHAHAHAHA! I will leave it there for now. Until then, think of ways that Jak would react whenever I tell him I'm his daughter!_**


	7. Lost

**_Marauder Child_**

**_Chapter Seven: Lost_**

"Princess, wait!" She skidded to a halt and spun around, panting from her excitment. "Where are you going? The city is this way!" Krishna pointed in the opposite direction in which Jordan was going. "I know! But I have to get...my father!"

* * *

Jak sighed against Keira's mouth as they once again shared a passionate kiss. They parted and stared into each other's eyes. Oh how Keira wished that _she _was the first one to kiss him. She wished he had never met Ashlin. Never met Torn. Never came _here_. Of course it was his destiny, but before this place, everything was fine. He noticed the sadness in her eyes and lifted her chin. 

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. She smiled and put her hand on his left cheek. "Nothing. It's nothing..." An awkward silence took over. Strange, because Daxter was in the same building. "Say," Jak mumbled suspiciously. "Have you seen Daxter lately?" Keira sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why would you care? He would just ruin the moment!"

"Yeah, but, it's...quiet...too quiet..." His mind raced through thoughts about what Daxter could possibly be doing. It hit him like a bucket of ice water. "The ring!" he exclaimed, forgetting that Keira was sitting beside him. "What ring?"

"Daxter was supposed to propose to Tess, but he never got the chance because we met Jordan." Keira squealed with exitement. Her best friend was getting married. "Did he say when he would propose?"

"Well, he said that he would that night that Jordan ran off with Tess. He hasn't mentioned it since..."

"JAK! JAK, COM'ERE!" He jumped at the sudden call of his name. And who should he meet but Daxter and Tess. "Jak! I'm so glad we found you!"Tess panted, dragging Daxter across the floor. "Keira! Jak! Daxxie just PROPOSED to me!" She jumped into Keira's open arms as they both squealed with delight. "Congrats, Dax," said Jak in the most exited tone he could. "Thanks, pal...Erm, it seems odd for me to ask this, but, would you like ta' be the Best Man?" The she-Ottsel pulled away from Keira and gasped. "Keira! I want you to be my Bride's Maid!"

Keira's heart sank. _Jordan should be here... _"Tess, I really think that we should-"

"We should have this wedding as soon as possible!" exclaimed Daxter, completely ignoring the fact that Keira was in mid-sentence. "I say we have it in Haven City forest this month. Think about it, Tess. Beautiful roses all over the place. A lovely dress adorning you..." The she-Ottsel could hardly contain herself. But among all of the excitement, she couldn't help but feel that she was forgetting something...or someone.

* * *

Krishna sighed and grabbed her arm. "No, Your Highness, you can meet him in the past. You must go back in time and rule the Marauders." She tore away from him in disbelief. "Why do I have to go back to the past?" He smiled and motioned for her to sit down. Obeying him, she fell down to the sand, ears ready for listening. 

"You know how Marauders are today," he began. "Bloodthirsty, murdering, angry people they are. They weren't always like that, Miss. Not always. The story of Amorad that was told to you was that the Marauders hated Mar, correct?" She confirmed by nodding her head. "Well, it's not true. They were civilized human beings in the time of Mar, so they were very much pleased that Mar and Amorad were to be married.

"On the day of the wedding, one of the Marauders stepped forwarth, challenging Amorad. He thought that bringing Mar to Amorad would be a danger to the city. His followers behind him were the ones that kidnapped Mar, and held him captive until the Queen backed down from the marriage. Amorad refused, and Mar was killed. Soon, the man's followers murdered Amorad as well. That's how the Marauders came to be such animals-"

"Stop!" she cried. "If they were killed, when was I born?" Krishna sighed. "You were born before the marriage. It was part of the reason they were going to be husband and wife..."

Jordan couldn't believe her ears. All the stories she'd been told were of her parents...and lies. "...So it's up to you, Your Highness. You must go back in time and save your parents, accept that man's challenge, and win back the city of Amorad!"

"I accept...But..." Krishna's eyebrows lowered. "What's wrong? Don't you want to save your parents? Live the life of luxury?"

"I do! But...can I go back to Spargus...so I can say goodbye to my...friends?" He smiled warmly, feeling sympathy for her. "Yes, but we must hurry..."

* * *

"Congratulations to Tess and Daxter!" The entire bar raised their glasses and cheered for the engaged couple. A considerably large crowd had gathered at the news of the proposal. Drinks went around the Naughty Ottsel as the celebration carried on into the early morning. When all but Jak and Daxter had left, they laughed and talked about Daxter's new life to come. 

"I'm happy for ya', Dax. I really am."

"Thanks, man. That means a lot to me." Something was different about him. Something like...maturity? Ever since that he proposed, he seemed more civilized and calm. Unlike the old Daxter who was talkitive and obnoxious. "So, what are your plans?"

"Whadaya' mean?"Jak asked. Daxter shook his head. "What are ya' gonna' do next about Jordan and Christin-"

"OH, SHIT!" he exclaimed, tipping over the remains of his drink and standing up from his stool. "WE LEFT CHRISTINA!"

"So?"

"So, she may know where Jordan is. And the sooner we find Jordan, the sooner we can get her where she belongs."

"Why do you care about her so much now, Jak?" He paused. "I don't know. I just don't know..."

* * *

Christina lay sprawled out on the sand, stomach rumbling. She'd been out there for two days with nothing to eat. It wouldn't be long before hunger and thirst consumed her fully, and Jak would win the arguement. She _couldn't _survive out here. How could anyone? "Ohhhh!" she moaned, grasping her stomach as it once againstrained furiously. _It won't be long before-_

"Christina!" She sat up and looked around. Nothing. So again the tired girl lay down in the sand. "CHRISTINA!" This time, over the hill, came Jak and Daxter, waving their arms like mad men. "Where have you been? I've been waiting here for two, count 'em, TWO days!" She held up two fingers right in Jak's face. "And you only said ONE!" They just rolled their eyes. "Christina, do you have any idea where Jordan may be head-"

"JAK! DAXTER! CHRISTINA!" As if on cue, Jordan came running from behind, dragging Krishna behind her. "I said to hurry, but that was a bit much, Your Highness," he mumbled. The he-Ottsel paused. "Okay, _what _did he just call you?" The little elf grinned from ear to ear. "I'M THE PRINCESS OF AMORAD!" she blurted. Silence took over as the rest took time to process what she had just said. _Princess of Amorad? _thought Jak. _Then that means... _Suddenly his mouth went dry. "Y-your?"

"Uh-huh!"

"And I'm?"

"Yep!" He couldn't believe it. Jordan was his daughter...That changed their entire relationship...and lives as well. "But if you're my daughter, then Amorad's your mother, and you're the Princess?" Jak took a step closer to her, but Krishna intercepted him. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you get any closer to the Princess! I don't care who you are!"

"Krishna! Stop!" He wasn't listening. Krishna drew his dagger, ready to fight to the death for the heir. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm Mar!" Jak defended, having forgot his Morph Gun. Still, the brave boy wouldn't back down. Lifting the dagger to strike, he lunged out at Jak just as...

"EEEEEK!"

* * *

"Master Rorique, we've spotted them. Mar has just left Haven City and the young Princess is with him. Should we rage an attack?" 

"Not yet," boomed the Mighty Rorique. "First, we find and ally. If they do not talk..." The commander understood. "But which ally should we hold captive?" The master stroked his short, black beard in deep thought. "The person cannot be just a companion, but a person that has known them for their whole life..."

"What about this girl, Master?" He leaned forward to get a better look at the screen. And the face he saw was absolutely beautiful. Her heart-shaped face was fair. Light brown hair flowed neatly to her shoulders, and sea blue eyes topped it all off. "She's perfect. What do they call her?"

"Christina, Sire." Even her name sounded beautiful. "Hmm, if she doesn't talk, we may just keep her to ourselves, shall we? But then again, one may not be enough. Find someone that is connected to Mar..." A few moments passed before the commander spoke again. "This girl seems to have a large relationship with Mar. Take a look."

"Hmmm, she'll do. If she does not talk...well, you know the drill. Move out!"

**See if you can guess what happens...I just LOOOOOVE cliffhangers! Well, when they're being used against me, they're not so fun, but...yeah...**


End file.
